Join the DC State Fair Board of Directors!

Over the past nine years, the DC State Fair has blossomed from an enthusiastic participant in neighborhood fairs and festivals to a standalone event that attracts thousands of people. Our all-volunteer nonprofit organization seeks up to eight new individuals to join our Board of Directors in 2019 for a two-year term and help us continue to build our annual showcase of the District’s agricultural and artistic talents.

Photo by Ron Sanchez/Blushing Whale Films.

You: A District of Columbia resident. Enthusiastic about the District’s past, present, and future. Willing to speak to strangers, conduct outreach to and raise funds from local businesses and work with people of all kinds. Connected to food, agricultural and artistic communities. Weekend and twice-a-month weeknight availability a must; daytime weektime availability a plus. Enthusiastic, adaptable and willing to eat, sleep, and breathe the DC State Fair during our busiest time of year (May – October).

Us:People of all ages, all backgrounds, and neighborhoods across DC, who are committed to building community and letting the agricultural, culinary and artistic talents of District residents shine. Respectful of tradition but open to new ideas. Consensus-seeking and collaboration-loving, but comfortable leading people and projects in a self-supervised environment.

All applicants to the Board of Directors should be able and willing to commit to the position described below.

Responsibilities

The following duties are the responsibilities of the Board of the DC State Fair: Help plan different aspects of the DC State Fair while actively participating as a member of two or three committees and/or subcommittees (including the Communications and Community Outreach, Contest, Fundraising and Merchandise, Logistics, Programming, Sustainability, Vendors and Volunteer committees); liaise with local businesses and organizations that complement and/or support the mission of the DC State Fair; ensure stable financials and legal compliance; and organize smaller fundraisers and events throughout the year, in addition to the annual DC State Fair and potentially in collaboration with local businesses and organizations.

We tend to assign collaborative work according to board members’ skills and interests, but everyone pitches in when things need to get done. Sometimes, that means we reach beyond our comfort zone to handle new and unfamiliar duties. Tasks and responsibilities are varied. You might:

Write content for our social media accounts, website, and newsletter

Solicit sponsorships from local businesses

Recruit and coordinate volunteers

Recruit and coordinate vendors

Work with vendors to encourage them to provide compostable food service ware

Work with community groups and nonprofit organizations to get DC residents engaged and excited about the Fair

Weigh in on and implement board decisions

Sound like fun? If so, you could be the person we’re looking for!

Time Commitment

New board members will begin to attend regular, twice-a-month meetings in late January, at which point members will take on intermittent committee assignments and responsibilities appropriate for their chosen role. As the date of the Fair (tentatively September 2019) approaches, our work intensifies, and board members will be asked to make their greatest time commitments from midsummer until the time of the Fair. Time commitments can range from four to eight hours per week during the planning stages to 12+ hours per week as the annual event approaches, depending on a board member’s role and availability. These are strictly volunteer opportunities.

Term of Office

Board members serve two-year terms, with the opportunity to serve as an officer (President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Information Officer) for one or both of those years.

About the DC State Fair

The DC State Fair is a free showcase of the city’s agricultural and artistic talents. The main event features a full day of competitions, education, and entertainment, with local vendors on hand selling food, drinks, art, and crafts. The first DC State Fair was held on August 28, 2010. The DC State Fair is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization run entirely by volunteers.

Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by Saturday, January 5. While our regular, twice-a-month meetings will take place on weeknights (on a recurring date to be decided by the Board), new board members are invited and expected to attend a kick-off meeting on Sunday, January 27 (location TBD).